By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 23: The state government is still clueless as to how 13 lakh metric tonnes of coal disappeared from the inventory that was in its custody.
In his 18th interim report submitted before the High Court of Meghalaya, Justice (retired) BP Katakey advised the state government to expedite the probe into the case.
The Secretary of Mining and Geology Department apprised the Justice Katakey-headed Single Member Committee that the administrative enquiry is going on as the mystery surrounding the missing coal continues.
“The state government is advised to expedite the said enquiry and to fix responsibility on the officers for the missing inventoried coal from the custody of the state government,” the Committee stated in its report.
Earlier, the Committee, appointed by the High Court of Meghalaya to ascertain whether the government cracked down on illegal coal mining, had sought the initiation of the process of finding out how 13 lakh metric tonnes of coal disappeared from the state.
Meanwhile, Justice Katakey in his 18th interim report stated that the coke oven plants and ferro alloy plants, which do not have the required single window clearances from the state government, and Consent To Establish and Consent To Operate from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board, are stated to be not in operation.
According to the report, the Deputy Commissioners of the districts concerned have been advised to ensure the conduct of regular inspection of such plants and submit reports periodically. They were advised to submit a report within ten days.
The report further stated that more or less all the coke oven plants, issued show cause notices, were stated to have replied, except M/S Meghalaya Coke, for which the Mining and Geology Department has been advised to take necessary action.
“Further action in respect of 11, out of 17 coke oven plants, to whom show cause notices have been issued, needs to be taken by the Mining and Geology Department as well as other concerned departments, after scrutiny of the replies given to them,” the report said. “All the concerned departments have been advised to complete the said process within a fortnight and to submit a report. The process of audit of source of coal in respect of cement companies and thermal power plants, after the Sixth Interim Report submitted to the NGT, is yet to be initiated,” the report said.
Further, it said the Coal Audit Committee, constituted by the state government, has been advised to initiate and complete the process of audit of the source of coal in respect of cement companies and thermal power plants expeditiously with the outer limit of mid-December, 2023.